The Great O'Malley (1937)

Seems like Pat O'Brien spent his career playing cops or priests, and in The Great O'Malley nothing is anything different for him.  From 1937, this touching, 71-minute, William Dieterle drama features Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, and child star Sybil Jason in supporting roles.

James O'Malley (O'Brien) is a New York City police officer with a penchant for handing out tickets.  For Officer O'Malley there are absolutely no gray areas---black is always black.  With his overzealous, no-room-for-discussion ways, he hands out tickets left and right.  Continually citing people for old-fashioned ordinances that no one even remembers anymore, such as too many bells on a wagon or a storefront awning being the wrong length, Officer O'Malley has become a pain in the neck to the people on his beat.  His superior warns him that justice needs to be tempered with mercy, but O'Malley just doesn't get it.

One day, he pulls John Phillips (Humphrey Bogart) over for having a loud muffler on his car.  Although Mr. Phillips asks O'Malley to quickly write the ticket because he is on his way to the first job he's had in years, the officer takes his time about things.  By the time Phillips arrives at his job, he's late, and the job has been given to someone else.  With a wife and lame daughter at home, Phillips is desperate and tries to pawn his gun; however, when the pawnshop owner won't pay the amount of money Phillips wants, Phillips clobbers the man on the head and then robs the store, a crime for which he ends up being sentenced 2-10 years.

Officer O'Malley's superior believes that O'Malley's focusing on minor infractions drove John Phillips to crime...had O'Malley not stopped Phillips for something as petty as a noisy muffler, he wouldn't have missed out on the job and wouldn't have been driven to the breaking point.  The police chief believes that O'Malley needs to get a heart and stop harassing people, and in an effort to either make or break the officer, the police captain demotes O'Malley to the position of school-crossing guard.  And it just happens to be the school which John Phillips' daughter, Barbara (Sybil Jason), attends.

Barbara, who walks with a limp, is a kind and loving child, and she soon has stolen the heart of the gruff crossing guard.  She tells him her father is working in Canada, but when Officer O'Malley escorts Barbara home one day, he sees a photo of her father and realizes that he is none other than John Phillips.  At this point, Officer O'Malley is a changed man, and he seeks to undo the damage he caused the little girl's family.  How everything works out is the balance of the film.

Though not spectacular, this really is a gem of a film.  It's tender and touching and even gets me mildly misty-eyed.  It affords the opportunity to catch Humphrey Bogart before he became the huge star that he did (this film came just after The Petrified Forest); plus, the little girl, Sybil Jason, is adorable.  Also, the message of tempering justice with mercy is a good one. I actually came close to giving this 4 stars, but in the end, I went with 3, simply because in films this short, I don't feel the characters or the story are developed enough.  So, this really is a "could have been 4 stars if it was a bit longer" kind of movie.

TCM will be airing The Great O'Malley on Tuesday, July 15th, at 1:30 p.m. (ET).  Plus, the film is out on DVD as part of the Humphrey Bogart Essential Collection.  I do hope you get a chance to see this, as I think it's worth it.

Happy viewing!!

John Garfield Blogathon---They Made Me a Criminal (1939)

Another film from that golden year of 1939 is They Made Me a Criminal, a vehicle which gives name-above-the-title billing to John Garfield and The Dead End Kids.  Directed by Busby Berkeley, this film sees Claude Rains, Gloria Dickson, and May Robson taking on supporting roles.  While some movie posters tout Ann Sheridan as a co-star, the reality is that she is an extremely minor player; in fact, she's dead within the first ten minutes.  They Made Me a Criminal is a remake of the 1933 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr./Loretta Young film The Life of Jimmy Dolan (reviewed HERE).

NOTE:  This review is part of the John Garfield 100th birthday blogathon.  To read all the other wonderful entries in the event, go HERE.

At a victory party following a fight, boxing champion Johnny Bradfield (Garfield) drinks to excess and finds himself involved in an altercation with a newspaper reporter.  After slugging the man, Johnny---completely drunk---passes out.

With Johnny out cold, his manager proceeds to get into it with the reporter, dealing a blow which leads to the man's death.  Anxious to cover his tracks, the manager---along with Johnny's girlfriend, Goldie (Ann Sheridan)---leaves the scene, knowing that the crime will then be pinned on Bradfield. The two of them end up being killed in a fiery car crash, and because the man was wearing Johnny's watch, his body is identified as that of Johnny.  However, police detective Phalen (Claude Rains), who is out to prove himself to the higher-ups, is quite sure Johnny is still alive, and he has every intention of finding him and charging him with murder.

When the real Johnny comes to and reads the newspaper account of what has happened, he has no choice but to go on the run.  After being warned to not use his fists lest he give himself away, Johnny takes on the name Jack Dorney and heads West.  Hopping freighters, as well as pounding the pavement with his feet, Johnny/Jack makes his way to Arizona, where he finds a welcome at a ranch for troubled boys.

The teenage boys (played by The Dead End Kids) have been sent by a New York priest to his sister's (May Robson) farm, where it is expected that kindness, responsibility, and hard work will rehabilitate them.  Johnny/Jack is put to work, and although his influence on the boys is initially a matter of concern, he eventually proves himself.  In fact, it's not long before the "look out for yourself" man wants to help the farm reverse its dismal finances.  When he sees an advertisement for an amateur fight, Johnny is willing to enter the ring for the prize money---despite the fact that he is a "wanted man" and really needs to keep a low profile.

Does Johnny go through with the fight?  Or, realizing the danger of being so visible, does he back out?  Does Detective Phalen, who has seen Johnny's picture in the paper, find him and take him back to New York to face a murder rap?  These are the questions which play out in the balance of this film.




Although listed on Mr. Garfield's filmography as his second film, They Made Me a Criminal, technically, is his third.  Blackwell's Island, the true second film to be made, was released a couple months after this one. With Garfield's debut performance in Four Daughters the previous year touting him as "the sensational new "find"---not of the year, but of the decade," Warner Brothers knew they had a mega-star on their hands; wanting to capitalize on that popularity while Four Daughters was fresh in the minds of audiences, they rushed They Made Me a Criminal ahead of the B-grade Blackwell's Island.  While Garfield had been billed seventh in Four Daughters, he was given name-above-the-title status in this film.

They Made Me a Criminal is a perfect vehicle for the talents of John Garfield.  He completely excelled in roles like this, and he was his usual wonderful self here.  The misunderstood, huge-chip-on-the-shoulder rebels are easily my favorite kinds of roles for Mr. Garfield.  Quite honestly, I love him like this!!  The Dead End Kids, who are normally so obnoxiously disrespectful that I can hardly stand them, were definitely more tolerable in this film.  Even Leo Gorcey wasn't as smart-alecked as usual.  According to Mr. Garfield's biography, Body and Soul, The Story of John Garfield, he enjoyed working with the Dead End Kids.

As for Claude Rains' portrayal of a New York detective---he felt he was dreadfully miscast for the role and begged to be let out of it.  Interestingly, however, Mr. Garfield felt that Rains "contributed the strongest performance" to the film.  Garfield was critical of his own performance---finding it "hollow"---and he would "deprecate the picture at every opportunity in later years."  Funny, I thought he was quite good in the role...maybe not his best performance, but certainly solid and very believable.

May Robson is completely delightful...especially in the fight scene.  What a fun grandma-type she is.  I love her spunky spirit!

This film is out on DVD, plus it is available in its entirety on YouTube, so you shouldn't have a problem being able to view it.   It's a solid, 3-star film...close to 3.5 stars.  I think it's a film all Garfield fans will want to see.

Happy viewing!!


NOTE:  All directly quoted material is obtained from Body and Soul: The Story of John Garfield, by Larry Swindell, William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1975)

Good Sam (5 stars)

Good Sam, from 1948, starring Gary Cooper and Ann Sheridan, is a touching Leo McCarey comedy very much in the same spirit as the beloved "It's a Wonderful Life."  Since Gary Cooper is one of my great loves, I had been doing a search of his filmography a few years ago, and this lovely film was one that really jumped out at me as a must-see.  So, through the fantastic inter-library loan program, I obtained a VHS copy (from a library in Missouri, as I recall), and I totally fell in love with this little-known gem.  I watched it in the middle of the summer, and because there is a holiday theme to it, I kept hoping TCM would put it on their Christmas movie schedule, and after three years of waiting, they have finally done so---this coming Tuesday!! I couldn't be more thrilled!!

Much like It's a Wonderful Life, Good Sam is the story of a man who continually touches the lives of others...and ends up broke and in hot water as a result.  Coop is Sam Clayton, a man who would---and usually does---give the shirt off his back to someone in need.  Sam's wife, Lu (Ann Sheridan), is mildly frustrated by Sam's generosity, for it has kept them from having the money to purchase a home of their own.  When they finally do have enough savings for a down payment, Sam loans some of it to a friend.   With the remaining "house money," Sam buys turkeys for a charity giveaway, with the intent to reimburse himself from donations given.  Only problem is, Sam gets robbed, so there is no money with which to pay himself back, which means he won't be able to close on the house...and with Lu already starting to move their things in, Sam is desperately in need of a little help himself.

This movie is totally delightful...I absolutely love it!  It's a warm and fuzzy story, the kind that leaves you feeling good all over. Coop is his usual handsome, loveable self, and Ann Sheridan is totally fantastic.   The two of them had amazing chemistry together and played fabulously off one another. There is one scene in which Ann gets into a major laughing fit...it's quite hysterical to see her going on that long.

I highly recommend adding this movie to your Christmas movie list.  It is on the TCM evening schedule for Tuesday, December 20th.  Check for the time in your area, then set your DVR.  I think this is one you will want to record, as it's not out on DVD and is pretty difficult to track down.  I know I will be recording it to a disc and adding it to my own classic movie library (and, thus, my annual Christmas viewing schedule).

Happy viewing!!

Castle on the Hudson (3 stars)

Castle on the Hudson, from 1940, is a gritty prison drama starring John Garfield, with Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien taking on supporting roles.  It is a remake of the 1932 film, 20,000 Years in Sing Sing, which stars Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis. 

John Garfield plays Tommy Gordon, who, as the film begins, is convicted of robbery and sentenced to fifteen years at Sing Sing Prison.  Sure that his "bosses" will quickly spring him, Tommy arrives at the prison arrogant, feisty, and uncooperative.  He refuses to wear his uniform, which is too big, and he also refuses to work.   Prison warden Long (Pat O'Brien), whose ideas about running a prison are a bit off of mainstream, doesn't force Tommy to do anything; rather, he allows time alone to do its job of making Tommy a bit more cooperative. 

Tommy's girlfriend, Kay (Ann Sheridan), visits Tommy at the prison, informing him that one of his old buddies is pressuring the "bosses" into springing him.  In reality, though, the buddy isn't helping at all---he just wants Kay to think he is.  Really, he's after Kay, so he wants Tommy out of the picture---the longer Tommy is in prison, the more time the buddy has to pursue Kay.

Meanwhile, a group of inmates is planning a break-out, and while Tommy originally planned to go along with them, a look at the calendar changes his mind.  With the break-out scheduled for Saturday---Tommy's unlucky day---he is just too superstitious to join in, so although his cell door is unlocked, Tommy remains within and doesn't take part in the attempted break-out.

As it turns out, Tommy's fears are right-on; tipped off about the break-out attempt, the guards are ready and the rebellion is put down.  When Warden Long realizes that Tommy's cell was unlocked, yet he didn't attempt to break-out, he begins to trust Tommy.  Therefore, when the warden is informed that Kay is near death, he allows Tommy a furlough to go see her, making him promise that he will return to the prison that night.  Tommy promises he will return, but will he?  Will Tommy fulfill his word and return to prison after getting a taste of freedom? 

Castle on the Hudson is a well-acted, interesting film.  While I would give both this film and the original 3 stars, I actually prefer this one just a bit more, and that is because of John Garfield.  Spencer Tracy was good in the role of Tommy; however, I think Garfield was fabulous at portraying these kinds of hardened, cocky, unlikeable characters.  This isn't a favorite Garfield film by any means, but I definitely enjoyed it.  Why not watch both this film and the original and see which one you prefer?

Happy viewing!!

City for Conquest (4 stars)

Ever get teary-eyed in a James Cagney film?   If not, watch City for Conquest, a mildly sentimental drama from 1940, and you just might.  This touching film also stars Ann Sheridan, with Donald Crisp, Arthur Kennedy, Anthony Quinn, and future director Elia Kazan, in supporting roles.  No, the film doesn't bring huge sobs, but it definitely always makes me gently weep.

Cagney and Sheridan portray Danny Kenny and Peggy Nash, who have been sweethearts since childhood.  Danny, a manual laborer, does some boxing on the side, but he's not overly interested in making a career out of the ring.  However, wanting to make some quick money to help his aspiring-musician brother (Arthur Kennedy), he takes on the name Young Samson and agrees to a fight. Although Danny finds immediate success, he really doesn't want to keep fighting, so he backs away from the ring.

Dancing professionally is what Peggy is all about.  She's been dancing since she was a child, and having her name in lights is all she can think about, so when professional dancer, Murray Burns (Anthony Quinn), expresses interest in her, she's totally ecstatic.  Wanting more than just the average life she's known, Peggy partners with Murray, and the two begin touring together.

Danny wants to marry Peggy, but when she is offered a more lucrative gig, she chooses that over Danny.  Brokenhearted, Danny figures that the only way he can regain Peggy's love is to be on top himself, which causes him to push for a fight he just might not be ready for.

The Max Steiner score in this film is gorgeous...another thing you probably wouldn't expect in a James Cagney film and just one more reason I enjoy City for Conquest so much.  It's really a touching, heart-tugging film, which I hope y'all get a chance to watch.

Happy viewing!!!